Entry 12 - Interface, Inventory, Capacity & Weight - July 3, 2013

I'm still working on networking stuff and also on the Lua commands which will allow you to completely mod the game. Both of these things are very complex but unfortunately also boring so it's hard to make dev blog entries about those...

In-Game Interface
I started to script an interface in Lua. All the graphics will be replaced of course. I'll probably go for a window based interface like it's known from MMORPGs. The idea behind this is to make it work with every resolution without using ugly upscaling. The higher your resolution is the more you see of the actual game even while using menus. This is crucial because the game won't stop while having menus opened (it wouldn't work in multiplayer and I'll probably handle it the same way in singleplayer).

This shot shows two unfinished interface windows:

Character Window
On the left is the character window. At the moment it just shows the character and the quick access bar. Slots to equip the player (weapons and clothing) are not added yet.

Inventory
The inventory on the right just shows empty item slots and a scrollbar. Missing things are buttons for interactions, capacity and weight bars (more on that later) and maybe tabs for different item categories.

Capacity & Weight
The number of item slots in your inventory is theoretically unlimited (like Stranded II). But all items will have two numeric attributes: size and weight and your character will have a maximum capacity. You will not be able to carry more stuff when the sum of your items + the item you are trying to pick up exceeds your maximum capacity (so capacity is basically equal to the weight system of Stranded II). Weight is not gone though. Items still have a weight. Weight will not limit how much you can carry but a high weight will have negative impacts. Your character will not be able to run anymore when weight exceeds a certain limit. It may also become slower, jump less high or may get hungry and thirsty faster.

This system also allows to express stuff like large and light items like palm leaves or heavy but small items. This makes the game more realistic. I think how much stuff you can carry and how it influences you is pretty important for a survival game.

I'm also thinking about making single items which actually exceed your maximum capacity in size. You won't be able to put those in your inventory. Instead you will only be able to hold this stuff directly in your hands which also makes you quite defenseless as you are forced to unequip your weapon.
This is great for multiplayer and might lead to scenarios like: "hey I want to move this heavy rock. Can you please protect me while I'm doing this?"

Capacity and weight will be displayed visually with two bars. The amount taken by a certain item or stack of items will be highlighted on those bars when hovering the items in the inventory.

I'm planning to make it possible to craft bags (which will be equipped to the player). The better your bags are the higher your capacity is. Special clothing might provide additional capacity. Like trousers with pockets.

Stacking
All items in Stranded III can have distinctive attributes. This makes stacking problematic. Stacking will still be used to give the player a better overview. If you have just one item of a type you will directly see it with its attributes. If there are multiple of the same type you will see a stack with a little number showing the amount. Clicking the stack will "open" the stack, showing all items with their attributes.